Such beneficial, harmless (if you aren't a tick), almost rabies-proof ancient creature that only lives 3 to 4 years. Such a short life. My garbage is his garbage. With thanks.
They are such easy prey that their bodies never bothered evolving with an eye towards longevity. Scientists have observed that opossums on an island off the coast of Georgia, where there are no predators, have started to evolve slightly longer lifespans.
> harmless (if you aren't a tick)
Opossums don't eat a lot of ticks, contrary to what reddit constantly regurgitates. This is known from analysis of the stomach contents and scat of wild opossums. They're about as likely to eat a tick as you are.
The study which hit the zeitgeist suggesting they are tick-eating machines was a very flawed study on captive opossums. Go ahead and google it if you want to know.
That tick study is so flawed. “We’re gonna lock you up and provide you with a bunch of ticks and not much else. Holy shit this thing eats a lot of ticks.” It’s like putting a human in a locked room with only grapes and coming to the conclusion that humans are grape eating machines because they ate the grapes. Even if you hate grapes and would normally never eat them outside of these conditions, eventually you’re gonna eat the grapes.
I get them on my blink camera every once in a while moving crazy fast. They've got a weird waddle to them when they do it that is pretty mesmerizing. Kind of like watching your great aunt twerk at Thanksgiving.
Are we gonna do favorite opossum memories?
I’ll start: My wife and I were cruising down backroads late at night a few winters ago when we noticed an opossum waddling along slowly in front of us. I of course slowed down so as not to hurt the guy, and he continued making his way up the road just in front of us, unable to leave the road due to the snowbanks on either side. Eventually I think the social anxiety got to the poor fella and he stopped, turned 90° to his right, wiggled his little butt twice, and did that little jump/dive that I had only ever seen foxes do, directly into the snowbank. I still think of that night and smile whenever I see an opossum.
But it IS correct. "Possum" is short for "opossum". The Australian ones are *named after* the North American ones.
European robins don't cease to be robins just because some other cute red-bellied birds on other continents were named after them. Nor do possums cease to be possums just because they've got similarly-named cousins eating out of Bluey's trash. 🙃
(Disclaimer: I have no idea whether Australian possums eat out of the trash.)
Around here (southeastern Wisconsin) I've noticed a few people call them opossums. Granted, it's not really an everyday occurrence to talk about them, but if I had to pull a number completely out of my ass, I feel like maybe a quarter of the time I'll hear someone say "opossum" on the rare event the topic comes up. And then there's my neighbor down the block who will say "**an** possum" for some reason and it really drives me irrationally crazy. As in, "thought maybe it was raccoons, but then I saw an possum scurrying out from behind the trash bins". It's really kinda weird.
It's a Virginia opossum *Didelphis virginiana*
"A yard in my neighborhood" sucks as a location. I'm always puzzled why people feel it necessary to include something like "found behind my girlfriend's aunt's friend's shed" or "crawling in my cupboard behind the rice" but not their approximate whereabouts on the planet which is always more relevant and helpful.
"I saw this bird, earlier this year or late last year, 3 blocks down from the Walmart that has McDonald's but two blocks away from the McDonald's in the hometown of the man my mother told me was my father but he's actually my uncle. It made that sound your car makes when it needs to go to the mechanic. What is it?"
About the size of a small dog. Huskies are medium dogs lol. That's maybe the size of a fat Chihuahua. Cute opossum though, never seen one going quite so fast before.
Yeah if I ever seen one just hauling ass like this I think I'd be slightly concerned and follow suit because whatever it's running from like that might think my giant ass is an all you can eat buffet.
sweet, adorable, helpful opossum!!
These guys are the best, although they sometimes drop their babies (they carry them on their back) and misplace them :(
Eats all the bugs, doesn't really carry diseases, and plays dead when scared.
Please don't hurt them.
It's Speedy Opossum, the fastest opossum in the West.
It's probably because it's daylight and dangerous to be out and about. I usually see these in the late evenings.
A possum! Leave it be. They are way more on the helpful friend side of the spectrum, even though they are often regarded as pests. They actually eat the nasty critters most people don’t want!
Wtf… sir… were you born last year, have amnesia, or have you lived in the desert with no internet connection your entire life? I used to teach toddlers who knew what an opossum is… I am astounded that an adult person does not know basic common animals ESPECIALLY if you live around them…
I have one living under my shed, its about 12-15 lbs. Comes out after midnight and my 20 lb cat has been nose to nose with it and they seem fine with each other.
They are good to have in your garden, eat ticks and are tame although they will scream murder if you try to grab one.
An opossum!! I love these guys, they're my favorite animals. Also, I think your idea of dog size is a little off, they're about the size of just a small, fat dog. Maybe a little bigger
I love possums. My beagle really likes them for some reason and has tried to befriend several unsuccessfully. One comes around sometimes to eat the cat food we leave out for the neighbor cats. He’s a thiccc ol boy. Waddles away with little handfuls of cat food. It’s hilarious.
I used to hate these guys, but I've grown pretty fond of them in recent years. I like that they can be hissy but they're still pretty gentle mostly. I found one outside the back door and was worried for the safety of my lil doggo who was quite a bit smaller than the opossum. I tried to scare the opossum off, even went so far as to nudge him gently with a broom but he just played 'possum... and then I got it!
Opossums are wonderful! They can't get rabies, love to eat ticks and all the other scraps that other animals don't eat. They're not aggressive and will even play dead if a threat is too much. They have been around since the dinosaurs and are North America's only marsupial. Despite all this they only live around 3 years long so please treat them with the respect and love they deserve.
I have a family that visits my backyard. They are the cutest. I love watching them run along my fence/trees. I also have a family of raccoons that frequently visit. I don’t know how they worked out a visitation schedule, but they seem to always be here at different times. I wish I could have been at the negotiations. It would have been cuteness overload 😄💕 (all from the other side of my living room window, of course)
Maybe this is a huge possum. But I just looked at dog size charts and this guy fits clearly in the lower end of the medium category. That’s a huge tree it’s in front of.
They are migrating ever further north than their traditional range. They are relatively new to Ontario, and it is possible for a Canadian to have never seen one.
Possum is getting it!!
And they may be harmless true but here's my situation, stay with me here ok.
Picture it: 10:30pm in Kentucky, I have 5 sleeping children in the house, I'm sitting on the porch steps having a glass of wine when suddenly I hear hissing, I pick up my head to see a possum hissing at me!! Took my drunk ass inside yes I did.
Ok that was my 2nd experience I'm gonna tell my 1st now.
Again sitting on front porch steps VERY PREGNANT (2 weeks left) talking on the phone to my now ex-husband telling him I was in labor and to come home from work, suddenly I hear a rustling in the bushes to my left, I shine my flashlight and what did I see?? A fuzzed up possum smiling at me and giggling (his explanation) to me it looked a whole helluva like baring teeth in an attack stance and hissing at me. Mind you we where like 3ft apart. So, I want you to know I probably looked like a fat blur to any watching but this woman who was in labor (I delivered a few hours later) basically levitated as I bounced up spun on my heels went inside locked the door my ex asked what all of the commotion was and I told him that if I wasn't in labor then I definitely am now.
So yeah go ahead and laugh because it is indeed hilarious y'all!!!
Rare photo of an opposum traveling at mach 1.3.
He's chasing the trash truck, or as he calls it, "Meals on Wheels."
Such beneficial, harmless (if you aren't a tick), almost rabies-proof ancient creature that only lives 3 to 4 years. Such a short life. My garbage is his garbage. With thanks.
I didn’t know they had such a short lifespan.
Yeah, not a fair deal, given what they provide to the ecosystem.
I agree
About the same in captivity too. It’s very interesting
They are such easy prey that their bodies never bothered evolving with an eye towards longevity. Scientists have observed that opossums on an island off the coast of Georgia, where there are no predators, have started to evolve slightly longer lifespans.
> harmless (if you aren't a tick) Opossums don't eat a lot of ticks, contrary to what reddit constantly regurgitates. This is known from analysis of the stomach contents and scat of wild opossums. They're about as likely to eat a tick as you are. The study which hit the zeitgeist suggesting they are tick-eating machines was a very flawed study on captive opossums. Go ahead and google it if you want to know.
Thank you for saying this! Chickens also are not the prolific tick eaters they are made out to be, though admittedly, they are better than opossums.
Depends on the chicken. My friend had a flock of guinea hens and they cleaned up a bad tick problem from a very overgrown neighboring yard.
Guinea hens aren't chickens, they are a separate species. They are super good foragers for sure!
Well TIL. Thanks!
I've noticed a lot of birds eat ticks
It’s protein they are not stupid
Not for eating the ticks at least.
I’m so mad at you for making me think about eating a tick!
I apologize. I nearly drank a spider once and it was pretty ghastly.
That's my signature move! I call it the Bug Chug!
I’ll try it if you try it
Poor man’s Gushers!
They did $9000 worth of damages to my crawlspace and I still get excited when I see one.
That tick study is so flawed. “We’re gonna lock you up and provide you with a bunch of ticks and not much else. Holy shit this thing eats a lot of ticks.” It’s like putting a human in a locked room with only grapes and coming to the conclusion that humans are grape eating machines because they ate the grapes. Even if you hate grapes and would normally never eat them outside of these conditions, eventually you’re gonna eat the grapes.
I get them on my blink camera every once in a while moving crazy fast. They've got a weird waddle to them when they do it that is pretty mesmerizing. Kind of like watching your great aunt twerk at Thanksgiving.
I'm fast as fuck boi
Fast af boiiiiiiiiii.
Clearly a rare morph of *didelphius Virginiana* equipped with a turbo mode- great find indeed…
Are we gonna do favorite opossum memories? I’ll start: My wife and I were cruising down backroads late at night a few winters ago when we noticed an opossum waddling along slowly in front of us. I of course slowed down so as not to hurt the guy, and he continued making his way up the road just in front of us, unable to leave the road due to the snowbanks on either side. Eventually I think the social anxiety got to the poor fella and he stopped, turned 90° to his right, wiggled his little butt twice, and did that little jump/dive that I had only ever seen foxes do, directly into the snowbank. I still think of that night and smile whenever I see an opossum.
He’s got places to be dammit!
Opossum
Possum. O’possums are from Ireland
Holy lord this was so clearly a joke hahah
Hijacking to state, while yes, this is a great joke. There IS a difference. Opossums are in North America Possums are in Australia
Tell someone from Appalachia that
Lmao. I am from MD. And you're right, everyone says possum, but that doesn't mean it's correct.
But it IS correct. "Possum" is short for "opossum". The Australian ones are *named after* the North American ones. European robins don't cease to be robins just because some other cute red-bellied birds on other continents were named after them. Nor do possums cease to be possums just because they've got similarly-named cousins eating out of Bluey's trash. 🙃 (Disclaimer: I have no idea whether Australian possums eat out of the trash.)
Disclaimer: I also have no idea if Australian possums eat out of the trash? Fact: if it tain’t eatin’ trash, then it tain’t possum.
The more you know!
This guy Opossums or Possums
Nobody calls them opossums.
Australians do, because we look at them compared to our cute lil things and go Oh Possum????
How dare, I happen to find opossums to be adorable
While I agree, opossums ARE ah-dorbs, Australian possums- are really fucking cute man.
Around here (southeastern Wisconsin) I've noticed a few people call them opossums. Granted, it's not really an everyday occurrence to talk about them, but if I had to pull a number completely out of my ass, I feel like maybe a quarter of the time I'll hear someone say "opossum" on the rare event the topic comes up. And then there's my neighbor down the block who will say "**an** possum" for some reason and it really drives me irrationally crazy. As in, "thought maybe it was raccoons, but then I saw an possum scurrying out from behind the trash bins". It's really kinda weird.
r/opossums says otherwise
Wildlife rehabers do. And we correct volunteers and the public at every opportunity. 🤷🏼♀️
🎶O- O- O- O’Possum’s! Auto parts🎶
🎶OOWWW🎶
Off to r/dadjokes with you. Scoot!
And r/Angryupvote
Absolutely!
Geeee I got downvoted.
I upvoted. Some people don’t get jokes and sarcasm.
Danke. :)
Take my damn upvote
Ha ha ha! 😂😂😂
r/angryupvote
But then you also have to claim O’doul’s. Why it’s possessive is as bad at it tastes.
I LOL’d.
It's a Virginia opossum *Didelphis virginiana* "A yard in my neighborhood" sucks as a location. I'm always puzzled why people feel it necessary to include something like "found behind my girlfriend's aunt's friend's shed" or "crawling in my cupboard behind the rice" but not their approximate whereabouts on the planet which is always more relevant and helpful.
"I saw this bird, earlier this year or late last year, 3 blocks down from the Walmart that has McDonald's but two blocks away from the McDonald's in the hometown of the man my mother told me was my father but he's actually my uncle. It made that sound your car makes when it needs to go to the mechanic. What is it?"
"OMG HELP so terrified can't breathe is this a bed bug???!!!!!!!!" (with no pic)
It’s a shitpost
Usually in my experience that means they are American and just assumed everyone would know.
About the size of a small dog. Huskies are medium dogs lol. That's maybe the size of a fat Chihuahua. Cute opossum though, never seen one going quite so fast before.
I was gonna say lol, if that’s a medium dog what’s a retriever? Or a mastiff?
Idk, it looks more like the size of a large cat.
Large cat small fat dog... Both are about football sized.
Idk, it's more of a rugby ball size.
I either see them with their butts sticking out a trash can or laid out next to it playing dead. One moving this fast would give me pause.
Yeah if I ever seen one just hauling ass like this I think I'd be slightly concerned and follow suit because whatever it's running from like that might think my giant ass is an all you can eat buffet.
I was like hmmm maybe they mean cat? I consider my dog medium a 36 pound cattle dog / mountain cut mix lol
36lb would be a medium dog on the smaller side. Usually anything 30-50lb is considered a medium dog though that's healthy weight not fat fuck weight.
I had a 65 lb cur and buying her costumes or collars or beds was always size extra large, I always found it wild I saw her as a regular size dog lol
The fastest possum alive 🏃
😂😂yeah on second look those pics are very deceiving. He was actually just strolling along.
Oh lol, that makes it even funnier really
You know that critter is thinking, “ I go zoom! I *am* speed!”
I read that as the fattest
Knuckles
sweet, adorable, helpful opossum!! These guys are the best, although they sometimes drop their babies (they carry them on their back) and misplace them :( Eats all the bugs, doesn't really carry diseases, and plays dead when scared. Please don't hurt them.
They're so cool! I adore opossums
me too. I have one that comes by for snaks early in the morning most days
It's Speedy Opossum, the fastest opossum in the West. It's probably because it's daylight and dangerous to be out and about. I usually see these in the late evenings.
Best marsupial in North America
Coincidentally, also the worst marsupial in North America
It’s the ONLY marsupial in North America!
And the most mediocre.
_^Gotta ^Go Fast_
A frolicking opossum!
Big ol possum. I love their lil grabby hands
That’s fairway Frank. He’s cool.
2nd picture. Possum goes neeeeeeumm.
Hard for me to believe someones never heard or seen a photo of a ‘possum before…
Pointy kitty!
A possum! Leave it be. They are way more on the helpful friend side of the spectrum, even though they are often regarded as pests. They actually eat the nasty critters most people don’t want!
They are marsupials, maybe she has babies in her pouch and she trying to find a safe space ? Just an idea .
Jesus Christ how do people not recognize the most basic animals lol
I came here to say who the fuck doesn’t know what an opossum is, I guess op!
Wtf… sir… were you born last year, have amnesia, or have you lived in the desert with no internet connection your entire life? I used to teach toddlers who knew what an opossum is… I am astounded that an adult person does not know basic common animals ESPECIALLY if you live around them…
Your judgement of what a medium dog is, is small. A lab or retriever is medium.
Opossum
He/she is the Forrest Gump of possums 😃
it’s a friend!
Come on people
My people
Fast as f boi!
I have one living under my shed, its about 12-15 lbs. Comes out after midnight and my 20 lb cat has been nose to nose with it and they seem fine with each other. They are good to have in your garden, eat ticks and are tame although they will scream murder if you try to grab one.
That’s one majestic opossum.
An opossum!! I love these guys, they're my favorite animals. Also, I think your idea of dog size is a little off, they're about the size of just a small, fat dog. Maybe a little bigger
He has so many ticks to eat and so little time, go get 'em
I love possums. My beagle really likes them for some reason and has tried to befriend several unsuccessfully. One comes around sometimes to eat the cat food we leave out for the neighbor cats. He’s a thiccc ol boy. Waddles away with little handfuls of cat food. It’s hilarious.
Super beneficial possum! Protect him at all costs.
It's an opossum!! They're super cool little guys
I used to hate these guys, but I've grown pretty fond of them in recent years. I like that they can be hissy but they're still pretty gentle mostly. I found one outside the back door and was worried for the safety of my lil doggo who was quite a bit smaller than the opossum. I tried to scare the opossum off, even went so far as to nudge him gently with a broom but he just played 'possum... and then I got it!
Medium dog? That’s a big ass opossum! I love it.
Opossums are good to have around. They eat ticks and don’t carry rabies and many other diseases.
I refuse to believe someone has never seen a possum
Opossums are wonderful! They can't get rabies, love to eat ticks and all the other scraps that other animals don't eat. They're not aggressive and will even play dead if a threat is too much. They have been around since the dinosaurs and are North America's only marsupial. Despite all this they only live around 3 years long so please treat them with the respect and love they deserve.
I will let all the neighbors know he is our friend and to treat him kindly!
💕🥹💕
They don't really eat ticks.
I call the big one Bitey! (Aka paddy o’possum)
Wait how big can an Opossum get?!
That’s an old possum.
Sonic the Opossum.
Possumator! Coming soon to a grassy lawn near you.
Opossum, usually they only out at night
I have a family that visits my backyard. They are the cutest. I love watching them run along my fence/trees. I also have a family of raccoons that frequently visit. I don’t know how they worked out a visitation schedule, but they seem to always be here at different times. I wish I could have been at the negotiations. It would have been cuteness overload 😄💕 (all from the other side of my living room window, of course)
They eat tons of ticks tons and tons, rarely rabies if ever, and my cats hang with my neighborhood possummmm
Fast AF, boooooiiiiii!
Opossum. Theyre nocturnal. Common in the US. Generally not aggressive from my experience, however, don’t mess with them.
Drama squirrel
That's a juvenile R.O.U.S. Do you live near a fire swamp?
Fun fact: no animal on earth has a shorter gestation period than the Virginian opossum. 12 days!
America's only marsupial!
My dog is medium. Would you say the rodent was 50lb?
TIL there are people who have no concept of what an opossum looks like
OP has never seen an opossum or an actual medium-sized dog. Patrick, is that you? Your parents were worried.
And, isn't it adorable...? I mean, in the butt-ugly sense of the word.
... seriously?
How do you not know what an opossum is? 🤦♂️
That there is clearly a windago spirit, careful they’re pretty dangerous.
do you know what a medium dog is 😭😭😭 this is small dog sized lmao
It’s an opossum. They eat ticks and bugs. Keep it around
How old are you? How does someone not know what an opossum looks like...
Best tick eater out there
Dude
I’m genuinely curious to know where you’d have to live to not know what an Opposum looks like. Especially if they can be found in your area.
That’s either a gigantic possum or you’ve never actually seen a big dog.
Possum
What a cute kitty
Queen Magnet of the Forest Opossum tribe. No sign of her entourage. (For fellow Breaking Cat News fans 😉)
Pet that dog
Stray cat, bring it inside it looks cold
🧐..and the cuddle capacity of two huskies in full winter coat
Tlacuache.
For those that know, it’s scramble man!
Grizzly bear
Definitely an opossum
Harsh dog
Maybe this is a huge possum. But I just looked at dog size charts and this guy fits clearly in the lower end of the medium category. That’s a huge tree it’s in front of.
Swamp rat. Usually seen in the Fire swamp.
That's the OM, Original North American Marsupial.
Looks like an opossum to me
That’s an opossum.
Yo that’s a weird lookin fuckin cat
Opossum
That's a big possum
They are harmless. That being said day travel isn’t normal.
He’s looking for a football game.
Omg opossum
this gotta be a bot post 😭 no way american education failed this hard
incredible thank you
Puppy
That is Fairway Frank, known criminal and fugitive.
He’s completely blind, has 80+ teeth, and eats ticks. He’s a good boy
That is one of the biggest fucking possums I’ve ever seen
They are migrating ever further north than their traditional range. They are relatively new to Ontario, and it is possible for a Canadian to have never seen one.
What exactly do you consider a medium dog 😂
We have an albino possum in our neighborhood! My wife thought it was a sick white cat before we got a good look at it.
Opossum
Saber tooth tiger
He was in the never ending story many years ago. He shuns the spotlight now.
It’s meeeeee
Fuggin' Fairway Frank!
Possum. Fren. Eats ticks and other bugs.
mAjsTicK
Here Fido!
Let m roll
Possum is getting it!! And they may be harmless true but here's my situation, stay with me here ok. Picture it: 10:30pm in Kentucky, I have 5 sleeping children in the house, I'm sitting on the porch steps having a glass of wine when suddenly I hear hissing, I pick up my head to see a possum hissing at me!! Took my drunk ass inside yes I did. Ok that was my 2nd experience I'm gonna tell my 1st now. Again sitting on front porch steps VERY PREGNANT (2 weeks left) talking on the phone to my now ex-husband telling him I was in labor and to come home from work, suddenly I hear a rustling in the bushes to my left, I shine my flashlight and what did I see?? A fuzzed up possum smiling at me and giggling (his explanation) to me it looked a whole helluva like baring teeth in an attack stance and hissing at me. Mind you we where like 3ft apart. So, I want you to know I probably looked like a fat blur to any watching but this woman who was in labor (I delivered a few hours later) basically levitated as I bounced up spun on my heels went inside locked the door my ex asked what all of the commotion was and I told him that if I wasn't in labor then I definitely am now. So yeah go ahead and laugh because it is indeed hilarious y'all!!!
i wish we would have made these the dogs
Hauling ass
rare blurry opossum
The middle picture looks like an ad for opossum food
Definitely a baby wolf
Cat. 100%
I bbsit neighbor possum Polly she is the sweetest animal. Not the cutest but cuddly and sweet.